Natural England - Review of Upland Evidence

In view of my involvement with the tracks topic that forms part of this review, I thought it worthwhile providing a summary of the what is involved.  This is a rather wordier post than normal ones, but I hope it is informative.  The Natural England website has even more detail!

The key point is that I am supporting phase one only, at this stage.  This will be reviewing evidence not changing guidance or policy.  Phase 2 might be more interesting to those involved directly in management issues.

Reasons for the review:

·      An increase in scrutiny of the uplands - want to ensure stakeholder confidence

·      To make sound evidence-based decisions

·      Operate robust and transparent processes

·      Ensure compliance with environmental standards

Phase 1

This phase reviews current evidence and evidence standards including:

·      quality assurance;

·      relevance of evidence and appropriateness of analysis;

·      conclusions drawn;

·      clarity of communications and consistency of advice to customers and stakeholders.

 It will:

·      Identify and consider all relevant evidence

·      Identify gaps

·      Consider the effect of defined activities

·      Draw conclusions based on available evidence (including recommendations for future research)

It will not:

·      consider other relevant information such as socio-economic factors

·      recommend changes in management practices or operational guidance

Topics to be covered include:

·      Effects of tracks/vehicles on soil structure and hydrology, and their effects on biodiversity.

·      Effects of managed burning on peatland biodiversity and ecosystem services

·      Appropriate management regimes for sustaining biodiversity and upland hay meadows.

·      Determination of environmentally sustainable stocking regimes for moorland.

·      Feasibility of restoring degraded blanket bog including areas such as drainage, vegetation cover (peat forming species) and climate change.

Phase 2 

This phase has not yet been defined but will look at possible changes in advice provision for each of the topics,

Review Process

Evidence Review groups

·      will evaluate outputs from the evidence review, draw evidence conclusions, and summarise these.

·      Each group includes two expert  members on the topic being covered.

·      Timing: 14 September – 5 October

Assurance Review group 

·      will comprise a chair and two independent specialists who will check the soundness of  the topic reviews and their conclusions.

·      The Group will report  to the Natural England Science Advisory Committee (NESAC).

·      Timing: 5 – 26 October

Stakeholder Workshops

Natural England plans to hold a series of workshops to discuss initial findings for each topic in November 2012 and to publish a report in December.